Brussels, 13/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Paris, on 12 February, Libya met its main international partners including the EU and member states, the African Union, the Arab Maghreb Union and international partners to discuss security and the building of a state anchored in a rule of law system, with its institutions and practices. The EU, which has decided to launch a civil border management mission to be deployed in June 2013, has been described as an essential long-term strategic partner for Libya within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean area of cooperation and dialogue. Libya has underlined that support is needed in the immediate future for the “disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former revolutionary fighters”.
According to an official press release, the meeting made it possible to“renew the commitment to the Libyan people and their aspirations to build a modern democratic and accountable state (…) in respect for human rights”. The international partners reaffirmed their “unequivocal support for the Libyan government” and underlined the need for “a measured and coordinated engagement” and for “visible and tangible action”. They reaffirmed the “role of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), particularly in coordinating and facilitating international assistance to the Libyan government”.
The Libyan government presented a document setting out the details of what has already been accomplished along these lines and the reasons why international support is required. It sets out six priority areas: i) national security coordination and architecture; ii) disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR); iii) arms and ammunition control; iv) border security and management; v) defence reform and development; and vi) police reform and development.
In particular, it was noted at the conference that Libya has “inherited stocks of weapons and explosive devices, of which a large arsenal remains outside the control of the Libyan government and which poses a direct threat to the security of Libya and that of the wider region”.
“Much now rests on Libya's leadership to carry the political process forward, to ensure a successful transition beyond the revolutionary phase, and to take concrete steps in the process of rebuilding their country”, the conference participants said, making the commitment to redirect their aid in relation to these priority objectives. They marked “the need for the Libyan government to continue to consult with the Libyan people, through their representative bodies, civil society and other mechanisms”. A group of Libya's core security partners will “meet periodically in Tripoli with Libyan officials in order to measure progress and review overall security sector efforts” to decide what should be done next and deal with the most urgent matters. (FB/transl.jl)